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Title
Topsy's in town
Additional title: Coons are excited 'bout a gal from Mobile, she just arrived the other day. [first line of song]
Additional title: She is a lady she is a queen she reigns supreme. [first line of chorus]
Names
Trahern, Al (Lyricist)
Crosby, Warner (Composer)
Parker, Frank (Cover designer)
Collection

American popular songs

Sheet music, 1899

Dates / Origin
Date Issued: 1899
Place: New York
Publisher: A.W. Tams
Library locations
Music Division
Topics
Songs
Older African American women
Aristocracy (Social class)
Cakewalks
Genres
Scores
Notes
Content: Summary: Using stereotyped language and terms, the narrator describes Topsy, a well-bred African American woman.
Content: Cover design by Frank Parker includes drawing of a woman with a hat.
Content: Published as the Sunday Wolrd Music Album; supplement to the New York World. Sunday, Dec. 17, 1899.
Content: Song begins with 16 measures of piano music labeled Cake-walk.
Content: Pages 5-6 also contains voice-only music and text for the songs "The Tottenham toreador" by Edward Kent (p. 5) and "The village wedding" by A.E. Lawrence and Geo. Lester.
Statement of responsibility: words by Al. Trahern ; music by Warner Crosby.
Physical Description
Extent: 4 p. ; 35 cm.
Type of Resource
Notated music
Languages
English
Identifiers
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b10826013
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b21736880
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b21738653
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): b679e9b0-c595-012f-cf88-58d385a7bc34
Rights Statement
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries. Though not required, if you want to credit us as the source, please use the following statement, "From The New York Public Library," and provide a link back to the item on our Digital Collections site. Doing so helps us track how our collection is used and helps justify freely releasing even more content in the future.

Item timeline of events

  • 1899: Issued
  • 2016: Digitized
  • 2024: Found by you!
  • 2025

MLA Format

Music Division, The New York Public Library. "Topsy's in town" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1899. https://qa-digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-efa9-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Chicago/Turabian Format

Music Division, The New York Public Library. "Topsy's in town" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://qa-digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-efa9-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

APA Format

Music Division, The New York Public Library. (1899). Topsy's in town Retrieved from https://qa-digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-efa9-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Wikipedia Citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://qa-digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-efa9-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 | title= (notated music) Topsy's in town, (1899) |author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library |accessdate=November 22, 2024 |publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>

Topsy's in town